Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1887-12-14
WHOLE NO. 1880.
A CHAPTER ON CANES.
The POPULAR DEMAND FOR MORE
EXPENSIVE DECORATION.

me various Kinds OF Wood Used-Sticl,.
Imported from Foreign Lands-Co1d
and Silver Headed Canes-A Paer IT,.
the Melting Pot.
There is great activity among the cana
makers OF this city. They work dav ana
night to fill orders for the holiday trade
4hese orders are mostly for canes of tbe
higher prices, with gold or silver heads
Inc popular demand for canes is NOT at
present in the line of rare and curio,,s
woods, but rather for inferior rnatariaI q,
the SUCKS and more expensive decoration
Inc cheaper sticks, such as are sold ON
the sidewalks and at the summer resorts
are maze OF nanaberry wood. hickory
water beech and dOgwOOd. These sticts
are grown III New jersey and the north
eTh part OF New York state. The nrocaes
OI getting these canes ready for the mar
AeI consists merely in Strengthening. sand
Paperlng and polishing. These cbean
Farletles are never Ornamented with gold
OF silver, and they are sold for from five
10 ntteeen cents apiece.
among the imported sticks are those
maui OI ollVe wood, which is brought
rom Algeria through the London market.
an 1AnoTher popular variety Of wood is Eng
ISh hazeL A very fine hazel wood sticl- e
grown in Germany. Hazel WOOL IL 80 ob;na 70
prlzed Tor the beauty Of its bark. which il
particularly true of the English silver barl-
1hese sticks are brought to this corrt,1,
with natural crook handles. and are orno-
mented with gold, silver and buckborn
heads. Another variety of wood souobt
alter by cane carriers is the French crab
ihese sticks are cultivated on cane forTns
IN the vicinity of Paris. They are used
WIN and without the bark. and fetch
hlgher prices than hazel
AN EXPENSIVE STICK.
A very expensive cane is made from tho
Madagascar or CeylOn vine. This wood is
Warty and knotty. 1t is carried in its
natural condition with a knob on each
SUCK highly priced cane is made from
Malacca cane, Of the rattan species Thesa
SUCKS are largely used for mounting mr.
poses 1hey are about equal in value IN
sne nazeL other beautiful canes are made
from English oak, prunelle and German
cherry A comparatively rare cane il
nlan uIactured from the hide Of the sea
Wv Is sefnl-transparent, like amber.
but the woods which are always in de-
mand, and which none Of the vagaries ~
fashion have driven from their secure ~
sltlon IN public estimation, are the rose
wood, ebony and snakewood. These va
retles have practically a MONOPOLY of ele-
giant mountings. A solid gold head "a
seldom, if ever, put upon ANYTHING less
rare than the three varieties. Snakewood
Is peculiarly striking in appearance. much
resembling the mottled skin of a rattle
snake 'o''1e
Among the names for the different
Kinds OF canes are the Pistol Butt. the
Irlnce OF Wales Knob, the Opera Hook.
Crutch Hook, the Mascot Hook and the
Mascot Crutch. ' VIC
Never before in the history Of cane
making have there been so many gold and
silver headed canes carried as at present
ne majority Of these mOuntings are not,
soIld as great many persons erroneously.
suppose. They are made of a thin she'll
winch is usually one-sixth gold or silver
and four-sixths baser metal.
Inc process of manufacture of these
metal heads is very interesting. An in
qulsitive reporter climbed two dinDv
lights Of stairs in Fulton street the other
day to see how the heads were made He
was nrst shown series Of steel dies with
winch the cane heads were pressed into
the desired shapes. The edges Of the two
pieces were then joined together with gold
solder, Just as the halves of a walnut shell
might be welded. This shell was then
lIied with melted lead, so as 10 form a
sono ground upon which the gold chasers
can work, to whom the cane head was
lheh passed Tor ornamentatiOn. After the
chasers have cut the Welding metal into
figured designs the head was covered With
whiting and submitted to the fierce heat
Of gas jet, which caused the lead To rnn
put. Then the cane head was polished
and fastened upon the cane.
AN INTERESTING PROCESS.
A most interesting process was that by
Which the gold was separated from the
1aser metals. All the odd pieces of metal
which were left over, like shoemakers,
larings, were thrown into a big eartben
preserve jar. Nitric acid was poured
lpon these scraps. A chemical action
vas then begun by which the gold was
separated from the baser metals.
4 white and suffocating smoke
rose which was sitting. The LIQUID
the jar assumed a deep blue
Olor, and big golden bubbles rose to
ne surface. The contents of the lar sim
nered and seethed, and all the time the
cld was getting in its work separating
he purer metal from the baser composi-
ion The liquid was constantly assum-
ng varying changes in color, until it
settled down into a vivid green.
hen the gold shavings were fished out
nd dried in copper dipper over a port
bic forge. The gold shavings were then
laced in little sand crucible which was
Fedged between two glowing pieces of
harcoal. In the intense heat of the fire
be gold shavings were soon reduced to n
quid state and cast into bars to be used
Or soldering purposes.
The place where this process is carried
n employs only about a dozen men. vet
ne proprietors sell all the water, which is
sed for washing purposes, the ashes from
ne portable forge and the aprons, besides
ne sweepings from the floor, for $500 a
ear. The reporter heard all this In won
er, and looked at the mysteries Of the
letting pot with amazement. Then he
ent down on the sidewalk and shook
mself, and dust like that from a butter
rs wing fell from his clothing in a
'lden shower.-New York Evening Sun.